WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -
Penn State baseball (7-17, 1-3) dropped its series opener with Purdue by a score of 9-3 on Friday at Lambert Field. The Nittany Lions had three errors in the game and a number of mental mistakes that would be costly.

Junior John Walter (Haddonfield, N.J.) got the start on the mound and went a solid 6.2 innings as he gave up four runs, but just one earned. Junior Matt Paradise (San Clemente, Calif.) had a big day for the Lions, collecting three hits and one RBI. Freshman catcher JC Coban (Boca Raton, Fla.) had two hits and an RBI as well.

In the bottom of the third, Stephen Talbott reached base on an error and would score later in the inning on a double play groundout to give the Boilermakers a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the fourth, the four and five hitters reached base on singles, and one would score on another double play groundout to make the score 2-0.

Purdue would double up the Nittany Lions in the fifth inning. An error put the leadoff hitter David Miller on base. That would be one of two Purdue runs to score, as the Boilermakers had a 4-0 lead after five innings.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, sophomore Zach Ell (Plains, Pa.) scored from first base after he singled on an RBI double down the left field line by Coban. Then junior Matt Paradise (San Clemente, Calif.) had his first career RBI on a single to left centerfield to cut the lead to 4-2.

In the eighth inning, Penn State added another, as senior Sean Deegan (Readington, N.J.) led things off with a double and advanced to third on a groundout by senior Joey DeBernardis (Lake Zurich, Ill.) Senior Jordan Steranka (Pittsburgh, Pa.) drove Deegan in to make the score 5-3 in favor of the Boilermakers.

Despite the Nittany Lions cutting into the lead, Purdue would add four more insurance runs to make it a 9-3 final.

Penn State returns to action tomorrow at 2 p.m. here at Lambert field. Sophomore Joe Kurrasch (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) will get the start for the Lions.